A Wedding by Lake Michigan
密歇根湖旁的婚礼
Translation by Claude.
I’ve always loved Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. In May, I happened upon a wedding there by the lake.
At first I only saw men and women in formal wear, in twos and threes, chatting by the water. Some were wrapped in long dresses of green, yellow and white; others were in black and blue suits.
Walking further, I saw rows of white chairs set out facing the lake. A few women in headscarves sat on the embankment, glancing over at the crowd now and then. Some men were laughing as they walked toward a side door of the planetarium, and I guessed this was probably the wedding of someone who worked at the Adler.
Yes: only people who can lose themselves in the laughter, running and shrieking of little kids would think to hold a wedding in a place like this.
In the distance, the Chicago skyline cut into the line where water meets sky. I couldn’t tell whether the glass itself was blue or whether it was reflecting the colors of the lake and the sky. I only felt that before nature, every joy and every sorrow is so small. The self is small, and so is humanity.
Whether it serves as a backdrop or has a corner taken over by the city, the sea-like lake just waits quietly. This is where children look up at the stars.
一直很喜欢芝加哥的Adler天文台，五月份时邂逅一场湖滨婚礼。
起初只是看到三三两两穿着礼服的男人女人，在湖边闲谈。有些裹着绿色黄色白色长裙，有些套着黑色蓝色西装。
再往前走，才看见一排排白色的椅子，面朝湖边摆放。岸堤上坐着些带头巾的女人，不时朝人群张望。有几个男人笑着朝天文馆的侧门走去，我猜想这大概是Adler工作人员的婚礼。
是的，只有能沉浸在小朋友们的欢笑、奔跑和尖叫声中的人们，才能想到把婚礼办在如此地方。
远处芝加哥城际线插进水与天边，说不清是玻璃是蓝色的，还是它们反射了湖水和天的颜色。只觉得在自然面前，一切的快乐与忧愁都是如此的小，自我渺小，人类也渺小。
无论是成为背景，亦或是被城市侵入一角，似海的湖都只静静等待。这里是孩子们仰望星空的地方。